You & Me
by FairyElle
Summary: Preseries. What will Dean do when 7 year old Sam suddenly stops talking, and his father is out to find the thing that killed Mary Winchester.
1. Stars

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or the characters.**

**YOU & ME**

_1. Stars_

The door slammed shut. It was one of those old doors that almost shook the entire room. Dean locked it immediately. His head was filled with all the instructions his dad had trusted him with like so many times before. Stepping to the window he saw his dad driving away, after giving him a nod.

It was already dark. His gaze turned to the clock on the wall, it was half pat six. Dean turned around when he saw the brown mop of unruly hair, belonging to his brother.

"Hey there, Sammy." He looked at his seven year old brother, ruffling his hair affectionately. "You excited about tomorrow?"

Sam nodded. Dean looked into his eyes, not seeing them light up as they usually did.

"What is it, buddy?"

Sam regarded Dean and seemed to hesitate.

"Hey...come on." Dean touched Sam's arm gently.

"What if they won't like me?" Sam looked up at Dean, his brown eyes shining slightly.

At first Dean didn't know what he meant, but then he remembered. Tomorrow was the first day of their new school. He clearly remembered that Sam had really liked the last school they had gone to, maybe because they had actually stayed in that town for quite a while. In the end though, something had come up, and here they were. New town, new school.

For a seven-year-old though, things weren't always so easy Dean realized, looking at his little brother who seemed desperate for reassurance.

"Sammy, Sam..." he tried to get those brown eyes to look into his. "Everyone liked you before, didn't they? Huh?"

Dean knew that Sam had liked the other kids back in Ohio, that was one of the reason they had decided to stay. Sam had been happy there. For Dean that had been enough. He always made sure Sam was safe, well-fed and happy.

"Yeah, they did," Sam said, almost thoughtfully.

"Well there you go, nothing to worry about. Okay?" Dean smiled at him, receiving a warm smile in return.

"Okay," Sam answered. He then fell against Dean, wrapping his arms tightly around the older boy's waist. Dean smiled to himself, brushing his hand through his little brother's curly hair.

**oooOOOooo**

Dean got up early next morning, he tried waking Sam but he just pulled the covers over his head. He decided he could get ten extra minutes, but that was it. They really couldn't afford to be late the first day.

The day it was decided that they were going to stay, was also the day when they had gone to the school to get registered. It was a small town and Dean knew why their dad always picked small towns, it was easier with the schools. It was also easy to actually get to school which was an advantage he supposed. The school building where Sam and Dean were going to today was really close, it didn't take long to walk there. But with the way Sam was acting this morning, he figured it was good to get up as early as possible.

"Sam! Up!" He looked at his brother who was clutching his pillow tightly. Dean sighed, it couldn't be helped, he took the covers away from his brother.

"Dean, five more minutes!" Sam mumbled trying to reach for the covers.

"No Sam. Come on, you don't want to be late do you?" Dean raised his eyebrows at him.

"No..."

"Then come on." Dean watched his brother reluctantly get out of bed, but he knew how Sam felt about being late. Usually he was the one dragging Dean along, and not the other way around.

While Sam was eating his Lucky Charms, Dean packed the rest of Sam's stuff which lay scattered on the floor.

He kept a watchful eye on the clock, he really didn't want to loose track of time.

Dean saw Sam finishing his breakfast, rubbing his eyes, a bit too tiredly for Dean's liking.

'That was definitely the last time you stayed up that late, kiddo,' Dean thought darkly to himself. The night before Sam had really begged him to play the new game they had recently purchased. It had ended with Sam falling asleep on the floor, and Dean had carried him to his own bed.

"Dean?" Sam stood before him apparently ready to go.

"Yeah, kiddo. You good to go?"

"Yup," he nodded happily.

"Are you sure?" Dean looked at him doubtfully. Sam was normally fast, but never this fast.

"I was super-fast, right Dean?" He looked up at him obviously satisfied with himself.

Dean cracked a smile. "You sure were, kid." He then helped Sam with his jacket, and then the Superman backpack.

Sam was starting to reach for the door handle, he still wasn't tall enough to be able to reach the locker above though.

"Whoa, there, Tiger." Dean turned Sam around, looking at his mitten-clad hands. In his haste to get going he had put them on carelessly, on the wrong hands.

Sam watched patiently while Dean sorted them out. "See Sammy, this is the right one," he held up Sam's right little hand playfully, "and this is the left one." He held up Sam's left hand.

Sam looked at him as if he was really offended. "Dean, I know what right and left is! I'm not stupid." Dean almost laughed at Sam's serious face. He'd heard somewhere that you shouldn't laugh too much at children's way of looking at things, because to them it was only logical. But sometimes when Sam was really adorable explaining life through his eyes it was hard not to.

He couldn't quite bite back the grin, looking at his little brother now though. "I know you're not stupid, Sammy." He opened the door pushing Sam lightly outside, locked it and turned back to his brother.

Dean started walking holding out his hand, and Sam hurried to catch up with him and grabbed it in his.

His annoyance with Dean forgotten, he began looking at all the houses they passed. "See Dean, that house looks like it's hat's too big." The 'hat' meaning the roof. Dean had to admit that it made sense, but then again he had grown used to Sammy-speak a long time ago.

Dean walked Sam to his classroom, he was relieved that they were more than ten minutes early. It was a good thing because Dean wanted to make sure Sam was alright before he left him with strangers he had never met before, well except for his teacher and she had seemed alright. That didn't stop his big brother instincts from kicking into action though.

Dean thought Sam was starting to look a little nervous if the grip on his hand was any indication.

"Hey Sammy, you gonna be alright now?"

Sam looked up at him with a small smile, and nodded yes.

"I'll come pick you up when you finish, okay kid?"

"Okay, Dean." Sam was looking at something on the other side of the hall, but he seemed to be focus on just one point. On the other side there were pictures from all kinds of fairy tales, it was very well painted. Sam didn't seem to notice.

"Hey," Dean placed his hand on the side of Sam's face, making him look up into his eyes. "There's nothing to be nervous about, okay?

"I know, Dean." Sam leaned into his brother.

"Okay, kiddo." Dean smiled down at him, ruffling his hair. "Later you can tell me all about the things you did."

Sam looked happy at this. "Yeah!"

Dean could see Ms. Huntington approaching the classroom door. She was a nice lady and she seemed to have taken to Sam when they had met her for the first time.

**oooOOOooo**

"_He's adorable," Ms Huntington told John._

_Sam was holding Dean's hand tightly almost hiding behind Dean. He always got shy whenever they would meet people he had never seen before, which Dean was aware of._

"_He can get a bit shy around strangers, he follows his brother everywhere though," John said looking at his sons._

"_Hey there Sam, I'm going to be your teacher. I bet we'll have loads of fun, won't we?" Ms. Huntington smiled at Sam. _

"_Sammy, say hello to your teacher," John said roughly._

_Dean glared at his father but didn't say anything. He just touched Sam's hair lightly and whispered something in his ear._

"_Hi Ms. Huntington," Sam said, shyly. "I'm Sam," he said unnecessarily. Sam looked up at her with a shy smile and Dean could see how the teacher seemed to melt. Oh yeah, it was definitly those eyes of his._

"_I like stories. Dean tells them to me, right Dean?" Sam looked up at him. _

"_That's right, Sammy," Dean laughed lightly. _

"_Well Sam, I'm sure you are going to be happy here."_

Dean smiled at the memory. When Ms. Huntington came up to them he put his arm protectively around Sam.

**oooOOOooo**

"Hello Sam." Catherine Huntington smiled at Dean. "Hello Dean."

Dean nodded to her. "I just came to drop off Sam, it's out first day here."

She wasn't completely oblivious to the fierce protection that shone in his eyes while he looked at his little brother. "Sam's in good hands here," she said kindly. Catherine opened the door to the classroom while Sam said goodbye to his big brother, he then walked inside with his new teacher.

**oooOOOooo**

Sam wanted to suck in everything Ms. Huntington was saying. She had showed them a big chart of all the planets in space. For Sam it was the first time he got to learn about all the planets and the universe. Ms. Huntington had said that they were going to do a little project. Everyone were going to do a book about how the earth was created – The BIG BANG – stars and planets. It would be just like a real book, they would do a front cover – black for how the world was before BIG BANG. The contents would consist of things they were going to write themselves. About the planets, star and how suddenly there was the earth.

Ms. Huntington showed them the room where the book was made. In the end it would look all shiny in plast with spirals. It was going to be their little assignment for this week. Sam couldn't wait to get started and eventually show it to Dean.

Sam had been a little afraid that since he was new he was going to be a bit behind, and then the other kids would thing that he was weird. He was happy that everyone was starting the new assignment today, that meant that he knew as much as everyone else. The only time he had felt nervous was when some of the other kids had looked at him funny but he tried to concentrate on what his teacher was saying instead.

Today had just been an introduction but when they had looked at the pictures with so many stars Sam couldn't help thinking about how cool it would be like to actually have his own star.

The subject was math, and the teacher's voice couldn't be more boring. For an hour he had been going on about the same thing, it was enough for Dean to get a headache, and he could feel himself turning off. Staring at the girl in front of him served a better purpose at this very moment. Seriously, what was the point of learning math anyway? He would only forget it later, and it wasn't exactly as if he was going to need it for hunting either.

What a waste of time.

Dean's mind wondered over to Sam, he wondered if he was alright in this school. He hadn't been completely sure when he had leave Sam. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust Ms. Huntington, but he knew Sam. He knew Sam better than himself, and when he wasn't with Dean he could get extremely shy. Dean didn't want anyone taking advantage of that.

He snapped back to reality when he realized Mr. Jones was wrapping it up. "Keep up with the exercises people, I'm telling you this for your own good..." Dean didn't need to hear what he was about to tell the class, as far he was concerned exercises wasn't something he was planning on doing. Not now, and not later. He slipped away unnoticed avoiding the big crowd. Dean didn't feel like making any kind of small-talk right now.

It was almost three o'clock. One thing he had noticed was that his and Sam's schedule seemed to match. Sure they never had recess together, and they were almost at opposite ends of the building but they seemed to finish at the same time. And if they didn't there was the after school recreation center where he noticed younger kids seemed to hang. Dean didn't really fancy Sam staying at that center though, he silently thanked whoever that had put together their schedules. Maybe their dad had something to do with it, or someone else. It didn't really matter, but it sure was neat right now.

**oooOOOooo**

Dean almost crashed into the little blur that turned out to be his little brother, running to him.

"Dean!!" Sam jumped at his brother hugging him, overjoyed when Dean caught him and spinned him around.

"Missed me that much, huh, Sammy?" Dean cuffed his younger brother lightly around the neck, smirking. Truth be told, he had missed the little guy.

"Uh-huh," Sam said. "Guess what, Dean?" Sam was almost bouncing, slipping his hand into Dean's.

"What?" Dean turned to look into Sam's hazel eyes, shining with excitement.

"We are gonna do a project, Dean. About space! And the universe, and...and stars and planets!" Sam smiled up at Dean, looking as if this was the best news in a year.

"Wow, sounds like some project alright, kid." Dean almost laughed at Sam's euphoric state of happiness. If he wasn't mistaken, and when it came to Sam he seldom was, this was Sam's first real project. He could only guess what this week's topic would be about. But if it kept Sam happy he wasn't about to complain.

"Yeah!" Sam nodded vigorously. "We are gonna make a book about it. Ms. Huntington showed us. And then we are gonna plasiceze it..." Sam looked thoughtful.

"You mean plasticize?"

Sam nodded again. "It's gonna have spirals too, Dean."

Dean laughed. "That's great, Sammy."

They had reached one of the bigger intersections, Dean had to pull Sam back by his jacket to keep him from walking into the traffic. He could feel his heart starting to beat a little faster at the though of what could have happened.

"Sam, you have to stop at an intersection, you have got to watch out for the cars. You got me?"

"But...you're watching out for the cars, Dean." Sam regarded Dean with confusion, looking a bit taken aback.

"Yeah I am, but that doesn't mean that it's ok for you to be careless," Dean said reprovingly.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Sam said quietly. He sounded somewhat hurt which wasn't Dean's intention at all. He just didn't want Sam to get hurt. Ever.

"Sammy, I just want you to pay attention while we cross the road okay? Dean said. "Because some people drive like assholes."

"Okay, Dean," Sam answered without meeting his eyes, concentrating on the road instead.

"Hey..." Dean took Sam by the chin so he could look directly into his eyes. "I'm not mad, sometimes you just have to be careful. That's all."

"Okay, Dean."

Dean smirked. "If you say that one more time, you're going to get stuck on that, you know?"

Sam laughed lightly. "I know you have to stop at the intersection, I just...didn't see the cars." Sam looked ahead as if lost in thoughts.

"I know, you were just excited about your space project. It's okay." Dean smiled reassuringly at Sam.

"Yeah, it was fun to see so many stars. I like stars."

"You do, huh?" Dean put an arm around Sam as they approached the door to the apartment.

"Yup, they are pretty. And sparkly." Sam looked up at Dean with a little smile. He just knew something was coming now, something Sam wanted. He was looking at him with those big brown eyes, lips slightly pouting. Honestly, he'd like to find a person that could resist those puppy-dog eyes. It just wasn't possible.

"Dean..." Sam started. "I want to watch the stars tonight. Ms. Huntington said that if we watch careful maybe we can see a star shooting."

They walked inside, Dean locking the door before turning to Sam.

"A shooting star, Sammy?" Dean ruffled Sam's hair teasingly. Sam just wrinkled his nose, trying to get away. Dean laughed at Sam's face.

"Yeah, shooting star, that's what I said! Maybe we could go outside?" He looked at Dean hopefully.

"Tell you what, after dinner we'll see. But we're not going outside, kid." Dean looked at Sam with a warning look, leaving no room for arguments.

"Why not?" Sam looked at Dean questioningly.

"Because it's not safe, that's why. I'm not taking any chances with you. There's a big window in the tv-room, Sammy. We'll use that one."

Sam just looked doubtfully at Dean.

"If we turn out the lights it will be just like we are outside. You'll see," Dean said convincingly.

"But what if we don't see any stars!?" Sam stared at Dean worriedly.

"Don't worry, kiddo. We will." Dean looked at Sam's hopeful face, he seemed to have invested all his energy and interest into the stars. Dean didn't really know why Sam liked them so much but he still wanted to give this to Sam. Even if he didn't know whether they would see a falling star.

**oooOOOooo**

With no homework on the first day of school, Sam busied himself by looking through the book they had gotten. It was mostly just pictures, but Sam thought they looked pretty amazing. He had barely started reading when he heard Dean's voice.

"Sam! Dinner's ready."

Sam really wanted to read, but his hunger got the better of him so he went into the kitchen. After a moment he felt he had to ask Dean about dad. "Is dad gonna call tonight?" Sam hoped Dean would say that he would. He missed dad, even though he knew that what their dad was doing was something he had to do. That's what Dean had said anyway.

"I don't know, Sammy. Probably, but he might be very busy." Dean wanted to tell Sam that dad would call, that he was sure of it, but he didn't want Sam to get his hopes up just to be let down.

"I hope he will."

After dinner was finished, Sam waited a while before asking Dean when they would be able to look at the dark sky. He decided to go over to the couch to first have a look for himself to make sure they were there.

The black sky was veiled with so many stars, Sam never expected to see so many stars. It didn't even look anything like the stars in the picture, it was better. Much better. But there were still so many stars that it was impossible to count them. Sam tried at first but gave up when it seemed impossible. Instead he went over to Dean, he wanted Dean to see the stars too.

"Dean, are we gonna look at them now? Please, I wanna do it now!" Sam looked pleadingly at Dean.

"Okay, kiddo. We can watch the stars now," Dean told Sam, noting how his face split up in a big smile. He smiled at his little brother.

"Yes!" Sam did a victorious shout. "Come on, Dean. We have to do it now before they go to sleep."

That made Dean laugh. "They are going to be up all night, Sammy."

"We can't be sure," Sam said seriously. He then grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him to the window.

Dean turned out all the lights so that the tv-room bathed in almost total darkness. Sam climbed onto the couch standing on it, so he could get a better view. Dean settled down on his knees, with one arm around Sam's waist.

Sam was silently watching the full moon, taking in the big white ball wondering what was really up there. "Do you think dad can see the moon too? Sam turned to Dean, trying to see his eyes through the dark room.

"Yeah he might." Dean followed his younger brother's gaze and looked up at the moon. Of course Dean knew their dad would probably be too busy to look up at the moon or the stars. But Sam didn't know that and he seemed to be so happy just looking up at the sky.

"Do you think something's out there right now?" Sam suddenly asked. His eyes seemed to be glued to the window.

"Like what?"

"Things. Evil things...that hurt people." Sam seemed to shiver slightly.

Dean wondered what exactly Sam was seeing out there in the dark, or if it was just a fear of darkness.

"Well..." Dean didn't want to lie to Sam. "There might be, but nothing is gonna get you," Dean assured him. "Nothing will happen to you while I'm here." He flashed him a confident smile and held onto Sam a little tighter.

"You promise?" Sam looked at him, big brown eyes turning to his. Even in the darkness Dean could detect the deep trust that seemed to shine through.

"I promise, Sammy."

**oooOOOooo**

Dean remembered when his dad told him about shooting stars. How he had known about them had amazed him, but when he'd learned that the knowledge had come from his mother he decided that he'd remember it forever. If nothing else he would share it with his little brother.

He never believed he'd see it tonight with Sam, even though a part of him hoped they would, if just for Sam. But there it was. Shooting stars. It wasn't really shooting stars though, those amazing streaks of light up in the black night sky. It was meteor showers, and it was caused by tiny bits of rocks and dust falling into the atmosphere and burning up.

"Sammy," he said. "Look at that, there's your shooting star." Dean looked at Sam.

"Wow," Sam said wide-eyed. It was all he seemed to be able to say, his mouth shaped like an 'o'.

It looked like fireworks, ripping into the serenity in the otherwise black sky.

"Do you think if it hit ground we could save it and put it in a fishy bowl or use it like a flashlight?!"

That thought had never even entered Dean's mind, but it did when he looked at Sam and into his innocent eyes. Was this why he wanted to see the stars so badly? Because he wanted one of his own.

It wasn't crazy, it was just Sam, and he wanted to catch a star. Now he had to break that dream Sam obviously had. His little brother was an adorable little thing, that he knew for sure. Dean felt the urge to protect the little guy from everything evil out there, to whatever was a threat but how do you protect someone from fantasies or dreams being shattered? True, it wasn't that big of a dream. But it was Sam's dream, and that made it all the difference in the world.

"Don't you think that would be cool, Dean? I wanna save it!"

"Well Sammy..." Dean really would give a lot to not have to tell his brother the truth this time. But he knew he'd just find out anyway. "The thing is, shooting stars aren't really shooting stars." He paused trying to detect a reaction from Sam. "They are just rocks that enter the atmosphere billion of years ago, they explode, and the light we see is just reaching us now."

Sam was quiet looking as if he was thinking really hard. "So... w-we can't c-catch them?" Sam looked at Dean as if he was about to cry. Those hazel eyes were shimmering threateningly.

"Sammy..." Dean tried to put his arms around him, but he had already run to their bedroom and slammed the door shut.

**oooOOOooo**

Dean carefully opened the door to their shared bedroom. He could see that books had been thrown all around Sam's bed and now they were scattered on the floor.

Sam was lying on his stomach, his head buried into his pillow. He was hugging it tightly. Dean sat down gingerly on the edge of Sam's bed, one hand rubbing his back carefully.

"Sam, Sammy...come on." Dean could feel Sam tensing under his touch. "Will you at least look at me?"

"Go away. I wanna be alone," Sam mumbled into the pillow. His voice was so quiet, but Dean could still hear him. He'd hear Sam's voice anywhere.

"Nuh-uh, princess. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." Dean knew that Sam wanted to tell him about all the things he was thinking about, or maybe just bomb him with questions. But he also knew that sometimes Sam was too damn stubborn for his own good. It wasn't that surprising though. Being stubborn was definitely a Winchester streak, that much he knew.

Sam finally turned around, staring accusingly at Dean. "You should have told me."

Dean looked into Sam's eyes, sparkling from tears. "Told you what?"

"That stars are just stupid rocks." Sam looked away.

Dean would have laughed if Sam hadn't been so upset." Don't you think it's kind of cool that they are like small explosions?"

"No. They are stupid." Dean could see one lone tear made its way down Sam's cheek, he wiped it away with his thumb. "Sammy, what did you think that they were?"

Sam sighed heavily before speaking in almost a whisper. "I thought that...that when Ms. Huntington said that they were gonna fall we could...we c-could c-catch them."

Dean decided that he didn't like Catherine Huntington that much anymore. He hugged Sam close, so he rested his head against his chest.

"They were pretty. I wanted one so that...there would always be light in the dark. But they are just stupid rocks..."

Dean carefully chose his next words. "Sam, stars aren't just rocks..."

"But you said..." Sam interrupted.

"Let me finish. Mom was like a star, she was brave and she was beautiful..."

Sam looked at his brother with confusion written on his face. "But mommy wasn't a rock, Dean."

Dean smiled quietly. "No, but Sammy, all stars aren't rocks. Mom was a star because she was the best at something, that's also a star."

"So," Sam said, looking at Dean with a happy smile. "She was like a hero?"

Dean didn't know how to answer that but looking at Sam he felt like he had to, since he seemed to really value his answer.

"I think she was, Sammy."

"I think so too," Sam said, leaning against Dean, who had by now crawled into Sam's bed. "Was mommy pretty like a star too?"

Dean just smiled into Sam's hair. "She was like the Sirius one."

"What's Sirius?" Sam tried to look up into Dean's eyes, searching for an answer in them.

"It's the brightest star in the sky," Dean answered.

"Wow," was all Sam could say. His eyes were alight with that excitement again, and Dean was glad that Sam was happy again.

Darkness was covering everything like a heavy blanket. Deep shadows fell over the misty place, but there was nothing but silence.

**oooOOOooo**

Sam didn't know where he was. How did he even get here? A sound of shuffling broke the silence, coming closer, it was too close. Sam could feel himself shiver. Where was everybody? "Dean?" he whispered.

Silence.

Starting to look around, he tried to see in the darkness. Dark shapes seemed to be looming around. Or was that trees he could see? Sam didn't know, he didn't want to know.

"DEAN!!" Sam screamed, unable to hide the fear in his voice. If he could find Dean it would be okay, he would make it okay again just like he always did. But there was no answer, just a deep silence. It was almost worse than the penetrating darkness. When Sam started to look around, taking in the surroundings, he was sure he could see the dark green colour of a forest. But that didn't make any sense, why was he in a forest in the middle of the night?

Something was definitely shifting, shifting to get closer to whatever its goal was.

Carefully, Sam tried to feel with his hands in front of him, deciding hiding was the best alternative right now. He stepped behind what seemed to be a great bush. It was a very large bush as far as he could tell, the branches were covering a vast amount of space. Sam let out a sigh. As long as he stayed hidden it would be okay. At least for now.

Then, without a warning there was a piercing scream rattling the silence. It sounded as if someone was really in a lot of pain. Sam couldn't help the creeping feeling of dread that was slowly filling him. If he had been brave like Dean or his daddy he would have helped the woman. But he couldn't. He could barely move from where he was crouched behind the bush, shielding him. Trying to peer through the murky branches, Sam could see something pinning the woman down. It looked like something made of metal, it looked like a metal bar. But that couldn't be right, could it? Her screams had died out, and now all that could be heard was her sorrowful sobs.

Sam made up his mind. If there was no one else around, he had to help her. Even if it left him shaking like a leaf, with a fear he'd never known before. He couldn't see anything from where he was standing so he moved forwards, through the darkened forest and to its very heart. When Sam approached the woman the first thing that crossed his mind was that she was beautiful.

Her eyes locked on his the moment she could see him.

Sam tried to reach for the metal that was stuck inside of her, trying to pull it out. On the second attempt he succeeded, looking at her more carefully than before.

"Sam..." she whispered, touching his cheek. Her eyes looked so green, he wanted to look into them forever. Just as he began to realize why she seemed so familiar he noticed something.

There wasn't any blood where the metal had been. There wasn't even a trace of a wound.

When Sam looked up from her eyes he noticed that it was colder, much colder. A man stepped in front of him, towering over him with a snarl. And then, the woman he had spent so many nights trying to memorize, looking at all the pictures of his mom, stood up. But when he turned he suddenly felt like his head was on fire, burning. Mary looked devastated trying to reach for her son, but the man standing before them stared at her with cold gaze. Dark-green clouds were forming in her eyes, as she stood in front of her son.

Cold laughter filled the now cold night, and Mary started to fade. Sam wanted to scream, but he couldn't see through the pain. Through his tears of pain he could see the man's eyes. They were as yellow as the fire, burning like the pain in his head.

**oooOOOooo**

Sam could feel himself falling. The echoes of darkness went on and on and on, capturing him in a place of anguish, horror and complete darkness. He wanted it to end, he didn't want to be there.  
"Nooo!" Sam gasped, sitting up straight. Breathing heavily he tried to remember where he was. In the darkness he could see those yellow eyes, burning like the most terrible fire Sam had ever seen. He could see his mother clearly, how she was screaming for him but then fading away to nothing. He'd wanted her to stay.  
The one thing that could sometimes make him jealous was the memories Dean and his dad had of her. Sam wanted to have memories like that too. Even if Dean would tell him stories about her it just wasn't the same. He had wanted to hold on to the dream even if it was painful, just so he could get close to his mom. Sam knew she was up there somewhere, watching over them. He wanted to believe she was their guard.  
A memory suddenly came back to him, Sam remembered when they had stayed with Pastor Jim. It had only been a year ago, or maybe it had been two years ago. Sam couldn't remember.  
_His dad had been talking to Pastor Jim for over an hour and Sam wanted to see what they were talking about. Only when he and Dean had entered they stopped talking.  
"Pastor Jim? Can you tell me something?" Sam asked seriously. He knew this wasn't a joking matter. Pastor Jim was apparently the best at this.  
"Depends on what it is." He winked at him, and Sam didn't feel the need to hold onto Dean so tightly anymore.  
"Um...what's God? Sam had heard the people on the television mention "God", but he didn't know what it was. Here was his chance to really find out. His dad looked at him, surprised. But he didn't say anything.  
"Well..." Jim started. "God is sort of like the biggest angel there is. He lives in a place up there in the sky," he pointed his finger in an "up-sign", "called heaven."  
"But...can he do anything?   
"He watches over us, His job is making sure that we are all okay." Pastor Jim gave Sam a smile.  
"So..." Sam said thoughtfully. "He's like Dean."  
Pastor Jim seemed to think that was amusing, which Sam couldn't quite understand. This was serious. People said it was and he was sure they were right.  
"Dean do all that, he takes care of me too." He looked at Dean who was wearing a funny expression.  
"I'm sure he does. But God takes care of the whole world."  
"Oh..." Sam though he finally understood it now. "So God is like...a big brother to everyone?"  
"Sammy..." Dean ruffled his hair, looking as if he wanted to hug him. Sam wondered why.  
"Something like that," Pastor Jim said sharing a look with his dad.  
Sam didn't care what they said, he knew for sure that Dean was his guard - and was the only thing he needed to know. _

If his mom was their guard up in the sky, Dean was his guard only on earth, but if Sam really thought about it Dean was more like a hero. That made more sense. More importantly Dean was Sam's hero. He could make everything un-scary and Sam was pretty sure that God couldn't do that.  
When he looked beside him he could hear his brother's steady breathing, he was fast asleep. Sam had tried to close his eyes and go to sleep, but he couldn't get all those pictures out of his head. Yellow eyes seemed to chase him everytime he closed his eyes. Opening them, he could sense the thick darkness, more than seeing it. It was almost like a big black cloud that was sleeping with them. The monsters seemed to like it, but Sam felt like he was suffocating when he saw them next to his bed. They looked like creatures, vile animals sneering at him. Sam didn't want them to be there, he wanted them to go away.  
Casting a glance at his brother's bed, he got up. The creature by the door regarded him evilly. Sam just wanted to scream. The monsters would attack him if he didn't get to Dean any time soon. In every shadow there was something lurking, he was sure of it.  
"Dean..." he whispered, so no one would hear him except his brother.  
When he didn't get a reply he tried to speak a little louder. "Dean, please wake up!!"  
"Uh," Dean grunted, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one hand. When he was somewhat awake he took in Sam's frightened appearance, eyes darting around the room fearfully. Dean touched Sam's arm gently. "Sammy, what is it?"  
Sam looked down fingering at something on his pyjama, not lifting his gaze. Dean had to take hold of his chin to make him look up at him, and into his eyes. He was surprised to find the sparkle of tears in them.  
"Dean..." he started.  
"Yeah, buddy." Dean waited patiently for Sam to tell him what the problem was. He suspected it was a bad dream, but no dream had affected him like this. At least not since a long time ago.  
Sam seemed to take a deep breath before starting. "I had a n-nightmare. I saw m-mom Dean and then there was a b-bad man and he had yellow eyes and he made my head hurt," Sam said in such a rush, that Dean almost had trouble to keep up. Almost. "And...now there are monsters by my bed. They won't go away, Dean." Sam shivered slightly, looking at Dean with brown liquid eyes. He couldn't ignore those eyes, reaching for him.  
"Sammy, take it easy kiddo," Dean said soothingly. He made room for Sam in his bed, lifting the covers. "C'mere." Sam didn't need another invitation, he climbed in, snuggling against Dean using his shoulder as a pillow. Dean wrapped his arm around his little brother, his body heat chasing away the chill from the little boy's body.  
Face buried in his brother's shirt, Sam's hand reached for Dean's shirt, holding on tightly. His shoulders were shaking dangerously, and Dean knew he was crying. It sounded like the sobs were so full of anguish and pain, that Dean felt his heart ache for his baby brother.  
Shhh, it's okay Sammy." He pushed one hand through Sam's soft hair, trying to calm him down. Sam only curled himself into a tight ball in his arms. "Hey," Dean said. "It's alright. You're okay, Sam. Nothing's gonna get you."  
"I'm scared..." Sam whispered, so quietly Dean barely heard him.  
"What are you scared of?"  
"The monsters are gonna get me, I know it." Sam sounded devastated at the thought.  
"They won't. You're safe with me," Dean promised.  
Sam shuddered.  
"I won't let anything happen to you, kiddo. And no monsters are gonna get you on my watch. Alright?" Dean needed to make sure that Sam knew that he would never let anything come near his brother. He flashed a confident smile when Sam looked up at him.  
"Uh-huh," Sam said, relaxing slightly. He fell silent, still thinking about the dream.  
"I saved mommy in my dream, Dean," Sam said suddenly.  
"You did?" Dean brushed Sam's hair away from his forehead so he could see his eyes.  
"Yeah, even though I was afraid," Sam whispered, a little bit of pride shining through. "But that bad man hurt my head..."  
"I know, but you were really brave...and it was just a dream." Dean pressed his lips against Sam's hair. "You're safe now."  
Dean found it weird that Sam dreamed about their mom, and then a man with yellow eyes. He knew it could very well be a nightmare, just like those monsters were triggered by Sam's fear. But a part of him couldn't help wondering if this was more than a nightmare. He silently made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let Sam out of his sight. His dad always let him know that it was better to be safe than sorry.  
"Hey Dean..." Sam said. When there was no reply he started whispering. "Are you asleep?"  
Dean smiled. "No, Sammy. What is it?"  
"Do you think, I mean, could you...?" Sam didn't know how to say it. What if Dean wouldn't wanna do it? What if he...  
"Sam, just spit it out. You're killing me here." Dean's voice broke through his train of thoughts.  
"Can you help me with my space project?" Sam whispered it so fast, Dean had to think for a minute. Then he almost laughed. "Of course I will. Now go to sleep, Sammy. It's late."  
"Okay, Dean."  
Silence filled the room. Sam contemplated if he should go to sleep or tell Dean what he had been thinking of ever since he woke up from that terrible nightmare. 

"Dean?"  
"What?" Dean tried to be patient for Sam, now that he had finally calmed down.  
"You wanna know a secret..." Sam asked quietly. He started tugging on Dean's shirt unconsciously.  
"Sure, buddy." Dean smiled, tightening his hold around Sam to show it was okay to tell him what he obviously wanted to say.  
"You said mom was a star. But..."  
"But what?" Dean asked gently.  
"You're my star," Sam whispered into Dean's shirt.

**oooOOOooo**

Reviews are love!


	2. Problems

**YOU & ME**

_2. Problems_

The sharp noise reached his dream just when it was getting better. Just as it got louder and louder, he realized his dreams rarely had sound effects this good. It had to be the alarm clock ringing.

Dean opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his little brother lying on his arm, still asleep. Dean carefully slipped away to not wake him. That was when he realized that it wasn't the alarm clock at all, it was the phone.

"Hello," he answered quietly, not wanting to wake up his brother.

"Dean..." His father's voice was hoarse, much too hoarse for Dean's liking.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"This might take a little longer than I anticipated." Something could be heard on the other line, but Dean didn't catch what it was. "I'm not going to be able to make it back for a while."

"How long is a while, dad?" Dean found himself asking. "What's going on?" He didn't like where this was going, and by the sound of it his dad was hurt. And he obviously didn't care about it.

There was a pause. "You boys alright?"

Dean thought about how scared Sam had seemed last night, about his dream, but he felt that he needed to reassure his father. "We're fine dad. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me, son." The sound of coughing reached Dean's ear, making him wonder what exactly his father was hunting. He'd said it would be an easy hunt, that he would be back shortly. And now he'd be gone for God knows how long. Something was definitely wrong, but Dean knew he had know chance of finding out.

"Do you want to talk to Sammy?" He knew Sam would want to take to him. Dean had noticed the hopeful look in his eyes when he'd asked about their dad.

A sigh. Then, "I'll call back later tonight. I don't have much time..."

"Dad." Now he knew something was really wrong. He would usually always want to talk to Sam. No matter what. So what was so important wherever his father was right now?

"Listen to me Dean, this is important," he heard his father breath into the phone. "I need you to be careful, and I need you to watch out for your brother..."

_I always do. _

"Dad, what..." he tried to cut in. Dean needed to know what was wrong. By the sound of it, it sounded like they were all in danger. But he couldn't quite get his head around how that was possible.

"You hearin' me, Dean?" His voice had turned harsh, a warning in his tone which Dean didn't like.

"Yes, sir," Dean breathed.

"Alright, I'll check back in tonight."

"What if something happens to you?" He tried to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Nothing will happen to me." His voice was final, leaving no room for arguments or anything else to be said. Dean sincerely hoped he was right. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. It had been in his father's voice, so hoarse as if it could crack any minute. It hadn't been the usual conversation, there had been something tense about the whole thing. Almost like a warning vibrating its way through like a message. Only he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Dean?" Sam's voice brought him back to reality. Putting the phone down, his gaze swung to his baby brother's solemn eyes. "Who were you talking to?"

Dean didn't know what to say. He didn't want to disappoint Sam, letting him know that it had been his dad on the phone. Or worse that he had a sinking feeling that their father was hurt, trying to hunt whatever it was that he was after.

"Was it Daddy?" Sam asked sadly, as if he already knew the truth.

"Yeah. But he's gonna call back tonight, Sammy," Dean said, reassuringly. "You can talk to him then. He didn't have much time."

Sam regarded him in silence. "You should have woken me up." Then he walked into the kitchen, not looking back at Dean.

Dean followed his brother's steps. "Sam, I barely got to talk to him," Dean tried. "He will call back later, you'll see."

"But I wanted to talk to him." Sam didn't look at him, he just sat down and started to eat.

"I know, buddy. And you will," Dean said. "Later today."

"You sound so sure," Sam muttered, playing with his Lucky Charms.

Dean flashed him a grin. "That's because I'm always right." When he saw how much the clock was, he realized that they were going to be late. He silently cursed himself for not paying more attention.

"You really think Daddy will call?" Brown eyes full of innocence, gazed at him. He then turned his eyes to the soggy mess of his breakfast, swirling his spoon around.

"I'm sure he will, Sammy." Dean sighed, watching Sam play with his breakfast. "You better hurry up, kiddo. We are gonna be a little late for school today."

"But... we can't be late today. I don't want to miss anything."

"You're just gonna miss a little bit, I'm sure your teacher won't mind," Dean said, trying to make his brother feel better about the situation.

"Can we go now?" Sam asked, hopefully. "I'm done, we can go now, Dean."

"Slow down a little, kid. We have time."

"No we don't. I need to be there, we are gonna start the project and if I'm late Ms. Huntington is gonna be mad."

"No one is going to be mad, Sammy. It's gonna be okay." _And if its not_, Dean thought grimly, _I'll make sure it will be. _

As they were walking down the road to the school, Sam started to tug harder on Dean's hand, walking faster. Dean didn't realize how important this seemed to be to Sam, doing this project, and making friends. But he was willing to follow Sam anyway, because if it made Sam happy then that was okay with Dean.

He didn't want Sam to know about their dad, if he was hurt or maybe even in trouble. Although, Sam was smarter than any kid he had met. Puzzling together pieces wasn't too hard for him. Dean suspected that one of the reasons for his dad wanting to call back later, was because he wanted to get better. He obviously didn't want to talk to Sam while he could barely talk.

"Where's Daddy right now, Dean?"

"I don't know, Sam." It was the truth, he hadn't told Dean where he was going. Which made everything a bit more complicated.

"Did he say when he was going to come home?" Sam had finally slowed down, and they were now walking in a more normal pace.

Dean had to think before answering, choosing his words with care. "He might be gone for a little bit longer, but you can ask him about it tonight. Okay?"

"Okay," Sam said. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you know where he is? Do you think he needs help?"

"He's going to be fine," Dean answered. He wondered what Sam was really thinking. Did he think their dad was hurt, and thought they were going to help him?

"Okay," Sam said. "I want him to be okay, Dean." Sam tightened his hold on Dean's hand, looking down on the road.

"I know you do, buddy," Dean comforted. "He'll be okay, Sammy. He wouldn't have called if he wasn't okay." At least that was what Dean had been trying to tell himself, but he didn't know if he really believed it. What he did know was that he wasn't going to leave Sam, no matter what happened. His dad had given him those orders before.

_Protect Sammy._ _Watch out for your brother. Take care of him. _

It was almost imprinted in his head, like a mark that would never really go away. Not that he wanted it to go away, Sam had always been his responsibility, and Dean wouldn't want to have it any other way.

**oooOOOooo**

The corridors were almost completely empty when they entered the school building. The sound of yelling and laughter that usually filled the air before school start, was non-existent.

They were exactly twenty minutes late, Dean realized. Twenty minutes wasn't much, there was no way Sam's teacher could be mad at him for that. He really didn't care what Mr. Jones would say, but Dean was well aware of the fact that Sam cared more about school than he ever did.

He regarded Sam as he was standing, eyes glued to the white door of his classroom. There were sounds coming from inside, but it didn't sound like Ms. Huntington.

Dean nudged his brother softly. "Sammy?"

Sam continued to stare at the door, gazing at it as if it would explode any minute. "She'll be mad won't she?"

"No, she won't," Dean assured. "Want me to come inside with you?" When Sam stared at him in disbelief, he added, "To explain."

Sam just shook his head, looking as if he was steeling himself for something he didn't want to do. But Dean had made up his mind, and knocked on the door.

When it opened, he could almost feel Sam shrinking beside him. Dean brought a hand up to Sam's neck, cupping it gently. "Sam's late today because we overslept," he informed Sam's teacher. "It wasn't his fault and he'd like to join the class now." Dean squeezed the back of Sam's neck. "Right, Sammy?"

"Yeah." Sam looked up at Dean, a shy fondness lingering in his dark eyes.

"That's quite alright, Sam," Ms. Huntington smiled at the little boy to lessen his worries. "We're watching a movie with the third graders today. You haven't missed much. Come with me." She ushered him inside. Before following his teacher though, Sam shot a look at Dean, smiling a little smile. Dean returned the smile, mouthing, "See you later."

When he left Sam to make his way to his own class, he was hit with the sensation that he shouldn't have left. But he quickly brushed it aside. Nothing was going to happen.

But even while thinking it, his father's words almost instantly came back to haunt him.

_I need you to watch out for your brother..._

He had meant from the supernatural of course. Not from a bunch of kids.

**oooOOOooo**

As Sam followed his teacher, scanning the dark room for a place to sit, he noticed how there was only one empty seat. It was next to the big boy with a back-turned baseball cap. He moved carefully towards the boy, sat down quietly on the edge of his seat, and turned his eyes to the movie. Stealing a glance at the bigger boy next to him, Sam nervously saw him throw a little piece of paper at another boy.

When Sam's eyes were focused on the movie he could see it was about the BIG BANG. Sam was reminded of the stars he and Dean had been looking at the night before. He couldn't help remembering how much Dean had known about the stars.

Three hours later the movie ended. Almost everyone had fallen asleep, Sam couldn't understand how something so interesting could make people fall asleep like that.

As everyone moved towards the door of the classroom, Sam accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry," he said.

"Watch where you're going..." The rest of the sentence was hissed in a malevolent voice. Sam didn't really understand the word. But by the way the bigger boy was looking at him, he knew it was something bad.

Sam never had lunch with his brother, but he wished it was possible. But he wasn't anywhere near Sam, as he was somewhere in another building.

Still, Sam had found someone to sit with today, someone who even thought his Superman lunchbox was cool. He showed him how you could wriggle the box from side to side, and the picture of Superman flew. It looked as if he was reaching forward, as if he was trying to reach though the metal. Sam had begged for it, when he'd seen it at the supermarket where they'd bought their food.

"Hey you!" Sam couldn't place the voice, but it sounded strangely familiar.

"Hey, freak!" A boy was standing right in front of him, sneering. Sam recognized him as the boy who had pushed his way through the crowd in the classroom.

"Wanna see Superman fly?"

Before Sam could even blink, he saw his lunchbox flying out of his reach, landing somewhere he couldn't see. The contents were probably lying on the floor, the lunch he knew Dean had made him this morning. It made him sad.

Looking up, Sam saw the boy standing in front of him, towering over him. The boy Sam had been sitting with quickly got up and ran to another table. Sam didn't blame him.

There was a burning sensation behind his eyes when he got up, staring up into cold blue eyes.

"That was my lunch," he whispered.

"So?"

"You destroyed my lunch," Sam muttered. "You're a bad person."

The hurt felt like a needle going through his forehead, right above his right eye. Like a shot, with fire spreading to his head.

Sam felt cold in his stomach, and without another thought in his head he started to run.

The laughter was distant, but he could still feel the tears burning behind his eyes.

**oooOOOooo**

As Mr. Jones started a long discussion about the different types of equations, Dean decided it would be ok for him to nod off. It was the last class of the day before he had to pick up Sam, his little brother who hadn't quite left his mind since his first class.

But he couldn't help it, he'd felt something in his gut. As if there was a hollow inside of his stomach, like the air had been sucked out of him. It was the exact feeling he'd had the very moment he'd heard the hoarse sound of his father's voice. Something about it had told him that he somehow needed to be extra careful.

Dean had spent hours trying to identify what it was that sounded so terribly wrong, why he somehow reacted to every new sound.

It was panic. There had been pure panic in his father's voice, and it was anything but comforting. He didn't even know if he would be able to call back, especially in the evening. There was a reason behind their father trying to call as early as possible.

A knock on the door brought Dean back to the discussion which was continuing, despite the fact that almost everyone were on the edge of falling asleep.

Mr. Jones sent the blonde girl in front of Dean to open the door. Dean could almost see every wave of her hair when she moved, but he froze when he realized who it was at the door.

Ms. Huntington.

Sam's teacher was at the door. He could only think of one reason for her to be at the door, the one thought that had been running through his head all day.

_Something had happened to Sam._

Almost every head turned to look at Ms. Huntington, the interruption apparently appreciated. Dean had easily noticed how the sound of Mr. Jones voice had the effect of putting people to sleep.

Staring at the form of Catherine Huntington, Dean wondered if it was just coincidence that Sam's teacher was standing in front of his class.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," Ms. Huntington spoke up, her eyes straying to all the pairs of eyes regarding her before turning to Mr. Jones.

"That's alright, Ms. Huntington," Jones answered. "We were just discussing some equations here." Dean couldn't help wondering if Jones knew how all his lessons almost always got his entire class to fall asleep. Mr. Jones suddenly looked as if he was about to say something, but decided against it. "Is there anything I can do for you, Ms. Huntington?"

"I need to borrow Dean Winchester, if that's okay?"

With some hesitation Dean got out of his seat, and grabbed his books. Glancing from his teacher to Ms. Huntington he felt confused. The only reason for Catherine Huntington to talk to him would surely have to do with Sam. Dean didn't like it. And if he hadn't been so busy worrying about Sam he wouldn't have missed the look passing between the two teachers.

"It's our last class for today, you can keep him for as long as you need," Jones nodded at Dean.

Ms. Huntington shut the door behind them, before turning to Dean. A shadow of doubt crossed her features, even though she was smiling reassuringly at him. It didn't lessen any of the worry Dean had felt, if possible it only made it worse.

"Dean, it's about Sam..."

"Is Sammy hurt?" Dean cut her off, trying to search her eyes for answers.

"We couldn't find him after lunch, he's been missing since then." Ms. Huntington regarded him kindly. "I was hoping you could help me look for him."

"Missing?" Dean clenched his fists, trying to stay focused, and thinking of all the possible places where his 7 year old brother could be. "What happened?"

"We didn't see him after lunch, but one boy saw him running."

Panic settled inside of Dean's chest like a great chunk of ice, wrapping itself around his guts. Sam only ran when something made him afraid or if he was feeling angry about something. "I'll look for him," Dean said thoughtfully. "Can you go to the classroom and see if he's come back?" He already had a feeling where Sam might be. "I'm going to look in the library." Dean didn't wait for an answer, he started jogging towards the library with the big owl in front of it.

**oooOOOooo**

The library was divided into two sections, one where all the literature was located, and the other section which was more accessible for younger kids. It was the latter section Dean was heading for. There was a big-sized red car with seats where you could sit, next to the blue couch.

Moving towards the Children's section Dean tried to scan the area for his little brother, his heart slamming faster and faster in his chest. There wasn't a sign of Sam anywhere.

"Sammy," he called, in near desperation. "Are you here?"

Something was stirring inside of the front seat of the red car. Dean could easily make out the brown mop of unruly hair just below one of the seats. It was almost as familiar to him as breathing had become.

Climbing inside of the car, he dropped to his knees beside the younger boy. "Hey," Dean softly whispered. "Sammy." A shudder seemed to be raking through the slight frame, until Sam's arms latched around his neck and the dark mass of hair almost blinded him.

"Dean," Sam finally choked out.

Sam was shaking so hard that Dean had to push at the little body, prying the arms from his neck, to look into Sam's tear-streaked face. His eyelashes were spiked with tears, but relief was shining through the large brown eyes now staring at him.

"Sam? What happened?" Dean touched his cheek gently. "Are you hurt?" The words had barely left his mouth before his eyes found the bruise right above Sam's right eye. It was turning into a screaming colour of red, something that made every protective big brother instinct kick in.

Someone had hurt his little brother.

But before he could say anything the sound of Sam's heavy sobs reached his ears, and he could feel one hand holding onto his shirt tightly. He stared at the younger boy clinging to him. "Slow down, Sam. I'm here. Just breathe for me, okay?" Dean could feel Sam's head nod against him, his breathing getting more and more controlled. His gaze found the book Sam had apparently been reading before he'd found him, now lying upside down.

"Can we go home now?" Sam sniffed. "I want to go home."

"Sammy." Dean took hold of Sam's face, forcing him to look up into his eyes. "Tell me what happened." He thought it was strange how no one had noticed a child who clearly was upset and had not bothered to do anything. But then again Sam had always been good at hiding.

The smaller boy shrugged, before whispering a question. "What does basket mean?" Sam was searching Dean's eyes inquiringly.

The question took him by surprise. "Sam, you know what a basket is, don't you?" But he had a sinking feeling that it had to do with something else, something that he just didn't get right now.

"But...but what if it's about a person, w-what does it mean then?" Sam asked, looking up at him eyes blinking rapidly.

Dean had to stop and think for a moment before all the pieces started falling into place. He lifted Sam, so they could sit on the actual seats of the car. "Who called you a bastard?"

His brother was silent, but his brown eyes never wavered from Dean's emerald ones. "He...he took my lunchbox," Sam whispered tightly. "He was mean."

Dean observed his little brother intently, knowing he shouldn't have left him alone earlier today. He'd felt it, like an instinct he'd developed ever since Sam had been placed in his arms, that night when their past life had gone up in flames. Sam's large brown eyes had been radiating with innocence and light, as if lit by a candlelight from within. He'd been given a responsibility, a responsibility to protect his little brother – something that would never go away, because it was already in his very blood.

Just when he'd left Sam's classroom he knew he'd felt something. As if an icy fist had clenched itself around his gut, and twisting his heart.

When he looked down at Sam, he could see him biting his lip worriedly. "Are you mad at me?"

Dean just raised his eyebrows. "Why would I be mad at you?" He suddenly realized that Sam must have picked up on the anger crossing his face. If only he could find the guy who'd hurt Sam, he could make sure that it would never happen again.

Sam's smile was turning shy. "I don't know, I just thought..."

"I'm not mad at you, Sammy. Just the guy who did that to you."

"I'm not mad," Sam said slowly. "But Daddy will be mad, because I lost my lunchbox and it's expensive and..."

"Hey," Dean stopped him. "Sammy, take it easy. Dad won't be mad, it wasn't your fault."

"But..." Sam started.

Sharp green eyes met wide brown. "No buts. I'm going to take care of that guy who did this." Dean started to get out of the car, helping Sam doing the same. "Do you know who it was?"

Sam seemed to think before answering. "I think so."

"Okay, then let's get you home." Dean ruffled Sam's hair affectionately, feeling Sam's hand reach for his.

**oooOOOooo**

_Reviews are love! Please let me know what you think!_


	3. Fear

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews, I appreciate them greatly and I am very sorry for the long wait.

-x-

**YOU & ME**

_3. Fear_

"Dean."

The spiking rain that had fallen like a waterfall down the windows had finally stopped. "Sam, for the last time, the answer is no."

"But, Dean," Sam said. "This is really really important. I have to go!"

"Says who?" Dean continued switching through the channels in the hope of finding something worth seeing. "You heard what Dad said."

"But that was before Tim called."

Dean turned off the television, realizing there was nothing on. "Look, Sammy. I get that you want to make friends and all, but Dad specifically told me…"

Sam wrinkled his nose. "Speci...cally?"

A smile played on Dean's lips. "Well, Dad really didn't want you to go anywhere."

Sam cut him off immediately. "But Dad doesn't have to find out."

"What?" Dean stared at his brother, knowing that those were the exact words he had muttered two years ago, when he was really supposed to stay with Sam. "No way."

Brown orbs were staring at him in accusation. "How come you can do what you want but I'm not 'lowed?"

And Dean realized just how important this seemed to be for Sam. More than wanting to be like his big brother, Sam wanted to have fun.

Dean sighed. "What exactly are you going to do then?"

Sam's eyes seemed to glow for a second. "We're gonna go see a movie, and then we're gonna eat at McDonalds." Sam looked at Dean, apparently waiting for him to say that this was the greatest thing. "Please, please can I go?"

And those puppy dog eyes were there, begging him to say yes.

How could he say no to them, when he knew he had never been able to?

"There will be someone with you, right?" Dean stared into Sam's face seriously.

His brother nodded. "Tim's Mom."

As he looked at his brother, at Sam's face that was practically shining with excitement he found that he couldn't take that piece of happiness away from him.

It was hard to believe that it had barely been an hour ago when Sam was crying, sitting on the bathtub.

**oooOOOooo**

"_He called me a freak."_

_Dean was busying himself with cleaning the wound near Sam's eye, before looking at Sam. "What else did he say?" He asked harshly._

_The younger boy before him lowered his eyes to the floor. "I don't remember."_

"_Sammy." Dean put one hand to the flushed skin of Sam's cheek. "You're no freak. You understand me?"_

_Tearful brown eyes blinked at him. "But…"_

"_What? You're going to listen to some idiot, but you won't listen to your big brother?" Dean playfully nudged Sam's side._

_Sam cracked a small smile. "N-No."_

"_Trust me, kiddo," Dean said, as he fastened the band aid on Sam's red skin. "You've got nothing to worry about. I'm gonna take care of this."_

"_But what about Dad?" Sam asked, worrying his lip._

"_What about him?"_

"_He sounded weird on the phone." Sam, stared at Dean with that expression that gave him the feeling that his eyes could penetrate his heart. "And he called early too."_

"_Sam, Dad's just really busy right now."_

_But Sam's eyes were now so bright with tears that they fell down his cheeks. "What if he's real hurt? What if he can't get home?"_

"_We'd know if he was hurt, Sam."_

"_No! He told you something and now…" Sam sniffed. "Now you won't tell me."_

_Catching his brother's arm before he could walk away from him, Dean turned Sam around so he could face him._

"_Hey," he said. "Listen to me." Dean looked into Sam's eyes, shining with tears in a way that almost made him see himself mirrored in them. "If Dad was hurt, I would never keep it from you."_

"_You promise?" Sam breathed._

"_Cross my heart."_

"_O-Okay," Sam said fingering his band aid._

"_It's alright, kiddo. Dad will be okay."_

"_S'not alright. Dad's not here. He should be."_

_For a moment Dean wondered what exactly their father had told Sam, and why he had done it._

"_You trust me, don't you?" Dean couldn't help asking his younger brother._

_Sam nodded seriously._

"_Then trust me when I say that you and me will be okay, just as Dad will be okay."_

"_You and me?" Sam's eyes seemed to light up for a moment, childish delight shining through._

"_You and me," Dean said, following Sam's train of thought._

_It only took him a second to catch up with his little brother and he tickled him mercilessly, the sound of Sam's laughter vibrating through him._

**oooOOOooo**

Sam seemed to be waiting for Dean to say something because his eyes never left Dean's. But Dean didn't know if he was ready to let Sam go when he'd been hurt earlier and so upset not too long ago.

Looking at his brother now though, he couldn't see anything but excitement in those large eyes.

Dean made up his mind. "If you're going anywhere, Sammy, you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't go anywhere on your own, and stay close to Tim and his Mom." Dean looked at his brother seriously, hoping he'd understand the importance of it.

He didn't know what he would do if something happened to Sam, and he wasn't around to protect him.

"I can do that," Sam said happily. Then he stared at Dean with a joyful expression. "Thank you! Thank you! You're the best big brother." The little figure of Sam threw himself over him.

"Well, of course I am the best big brother," Dean smirked as he hugged Sam. "Seeing as I'm your only big brother."

Sam giggled. "You're funny."

Dean rolled his eyes as Sam bounced to the phone, ignoring the feeling that told him he should make Sam stay home instead of going out.

As Natasha Harrison came with her son, Tim, Dean couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. After what had happened earlier, Sam deserved this, this moment of happiness.

It was clear to Dean that Tim's mother was good with kids. Maybe it was the fact that she was a mother, but she was definitely smiling the moment she saw Sam.

Her gray eyes were searching Dean's eyes questioningly, as if asking if there was an adult with them.

"Hello, Sam," she greeted his brother. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Sam said joyfully. "Thanks for letting me come," he added politely.

"Oh, it's no problem, honey," Natasha smiled at him.

"Hold it, Tiger!" Dean stopped Sam from going any further.

"Dean, I have to go now!" Sam said, impatience clear in his voice.

"Without your shoes tied?" He raised his brows at his brother. "I don't think so." Before Sam could look down, Dean bent down and tied them.

"Oh."

"Have fun, kiddo," Dean laughed, ruffling his hair fondly.

Sam grinned up at him. "I will."

"Are your parents here by any chance?"

Dean stiffened slightly. This was something adults tended to ask, and the answer now came automatically. "Dad will be back soon. I'm taking car of Sammy while he's gone. So…"

"Dean!" Sam interrupted.

"Well I guess we should be on our way then," Natasha laughed quietly, as Tim and Sam raced to the car.

"I guess so," Dean smiled slightly, watching Sam shut the door of the blue Volvo.

Well, I'll drop off Sam at eight. Will that be alright?"

"It's fine."

As the door shut closed, Dean wondered how wise it was to let Sam go with two strangers, with a boy Sam had just barely befriended. But in the end he knew it was the worry for his father that made him more alert than usual, because he knew he couldn't let anything happen to the youngest Winchester.

**oooOOOooo**

Sam had never seen a cinema so crowded.

There were so many people. He could barely see where they were going. Mostly he could see people that were just a little older than him, but there were also those who looked like giants compared to Tim and him.

"Okay, boys, let's stick together now. There are a lot of people here, and we don't want to get lost, do we?"

They both shook their heads.

"Alright," she said, pocketing their tickets. "Who wants some popcorn?"

To Sam, the popcorn looked like solid tiny clouds coated with a sunny yellow, lying inside of that big glass box. Amazed, Sam watched as the popcorn bags with the pictures from their movie on them, were filled to the top with popcorn.

The movie they were going to see was an animated one, and Sam happily pointed out that the car on the movie poster looked just like the one his dad was driving.

"Let's go boys," Tim's mom said.

Sam liked Tim's mom.

She bought candy and popcorn for him and Tim. When they were waiting to be let inside the movie theater, she'd told them a funny story that had made Sam laugh. He silently wondered if his mother was anything like Tim's mom.

All he knew was what Dean had told him, and he knew what she looked from staring at all the pictures from that time he couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried.

Sam knew that if someone was that beautiful, they had to be some kind of angel. Sometimes he wondered if she was looking down at him from somewhere in the sky. When the stars were crying, and the rain was pouring down where he was, was that his mom being sad too?

Sam wished he knew, because he knew what it felt like to be sad too.

Even if it had been a bad dream, Sam couldn't help thinking that it had brought him closer to his mother, closer than any of Dean's stories ever could.

It made him feel less sad.

"Sam, look!" The urgency in Tim's voice made him look up.

He was pointing to the line under the big red number shaped like the number one. They were now starting to let people into the theater where the movie was about to be shown.

As they walked up to the front of the line, Tim's mom handed the ticket taker their tickets. In Sam's very own opinion, their seats had to be the best. They were right in the middle of the cinema theater, their seats higher up than all the people sitting in front of them.

The movie was about Turbo, the car, who met a boy who was lost, and suddenly they were on the greatest adventure together. When Sam saw all the cars, he wondered if Dean would have liked the movie since he was always talking about cars.

The only part that was scary was the part when a truck pushed Turbo over the other side of the highway, making it tumble down into the water.

But Turbo had secret superpowers.

"Woah," Sam whispered, when the car lifted itself out of the water due to the special wheels it had.

As the movie ended, Sam followed Tim and his mom up the stairs, but all of a sudden there were too many people coming in between Sam and his company to the cinema.

Finally, Sam made it to the top of the stairs and went through the door that everyone seemed to be walking through.

But there was no one there. It was completely empty. Sam couldn't figure out where all the other people had gone.

"Hello?" He asked.

There was no answer.

Maybe it wasn't the right door. It looked like he was now somewhere he'd never been before, but now there were too many doors that came into his line of vision. How was he supposed to know which one was the right one?

There were voices coming from the stairs. Maybe there was someone there who knew the way out.

Fear was already starting to crush his heart, but the need to get to Tim and his mom was greater.

He didn't even want to think about what his brother would say if he found out that Sam had gotten lost.

No. He was going to have to get out of this on his own. Silently he wondered how Dean could be so brave when he would confront the scary stuff.

Ignoring his shaking legs, Sam slowly made his way down the stone steps, listening for the source of sounds he'd heard.

It was only when he'd reached the bottom of the stairs that he realized that there was a dark feeling to this part of the building. It was almost like the darkness that always came when he was about to go to sleep.

Now he could hear those voices growing louder, even though they were coming from outside.

Carefully, Sam moved closer to the big door, trying to peek outside. The door was one of those cool doors made of glass and it swung open automatically, barely without a sound.

Outside the building, Sam realized he was now in the back of the building, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to find his way out of there by himself.

Through the panic that was steadily coming over him, he knew he had to ask the people standing a bit further away from him, apparently not seeing him.

What he hadn't expected to see were two big men, looking big enough to be giants. They were holding something in front of another man, who was slightly shorter.

"Give it here," one of the giants roared. "Now!"

The man standing in front of them seemed to stiffen. "Just take it easy, alright."

Sam could see something silvery glittering now. "You think we're kidding around, don't you?"

Now at the age of seven, Sam knew a lot of things.

He knew that he had to hold Dean's hand when they crossed the street, and that We'll see´often meant No´. Sam also knew, even though his dad and Dean were careful to keep it from him, they were talking about scary and dangerous things. He'd learned that if he mentioned his mom, the air would start to rip with electricity just as loud as fireworks.

But what he knew without ever really learning it, was that there were some situations which he should avoid. There were some situations that just screamed scary about them.

And this one was one of them.

It was with shock Sam saw what he now realized was a knife, cutting through the man's skin. It created pearls of dark blood on his skin, the skin that was his neck.

"P-Please…l-let's…" The man was begging now.

Sam wanted to scream, but he felt like no sound could ever come out of his mouth. It was like a big fist was stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe.

He wanted to get out of there, to run, but now it was as if he'd become glued to the ground like a statue.

His heart was pounding in his ears, drowning out all the voices, the sound of its beats screaming inside of him.

Sam would have given anything not to be there when that red color seemed to drown the innocent man who hadn't done anything wrong.

He'd given anything not to see that silvery knife go through the man, making him fall down on the ground with a silent scream.

But most of all, Sam would have given anything not to hear that cold laughter that felt like shards of ice in his chest.

The two men seemed to be searching for something before they left him, and Sam found himself wondering what it was.

But why had they been so mad at the man? Sam knew people got mad sometimes, his dad did and sometimes Dean too.

Although, when they got mad they seemed to be able to see something in Sam that Sam himself couldn't see, and then they were okay.

If Dean had been in Sam's position though, Sam knew he would have saved the man. But he hadn't been able to, and he wondered if that made him a bad person.

Because you were supposed to help people. Everyone knew that.

Even though Sam knew he should start moving in the other direction to find Tim and his mom, Sam slowly took small steps towards the fallen man.

It took a moment for Sam to get used to the sight of him. Would he ever be able to look at the color red without seeing that dark red that was now coloring the man?

His eyes were closed. The jacket he wore was damp with a dark red now, and Sam wished he could do something, anything to help him.

But he couldn't.

"Sorry," Sam whispered sadly, in a voice that he couldn't recognize as his own.

Covering the man's chest with his own jacket, Sam hoped the man would forgive him for not being able to save him.

After he did so, Sam ran faster than he had ever done in his life. Maybe even faster than his big brother could.

Sam hadn't realized in which direction he'd gone until he tripped, falling onto the concrete. He thought he could see those men now, but he couldn't stop.

He had to keep running.

But it felt like his legs had turned into rubber now.

"Hey, kid," a deep voice roared. "Where do you think you're going?"

It was _that_ man, the man with the knife.


End file.
